April 3, 2003	Thursday	Muharram 30, 1424

LOS ANGELES, April 2: Muslim, Arab and even Sikh groups say reports of backlash crimes are trickling in, and they fear an increase if the fighting in Iraq drags on.

Advocates who track such incidents say they’ve heard about a dozen potential hate crimes — most involving verbal harassment or property damage to Arabs, other Muslims and Sikhs.

In Burbank, Illinois, an explosive device was thrown into a Muslim family’s van, destroying it. Police were investigating whether it was a hate crime.

At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, someone scrawled “Suicide bomb yourselves” in permanent marker on a display board at the Muslim Student Association’s offices.

In Eugene, Oregon, a man was charged with a hate crime after he approached a Sikh woman’s car and pointed both index fingers at her, pretending to shoot.

The Sikh Coalition has placed advertisements in the Punjabi-language media urging people to report incidents.